Either the police chief, his lieutenant, or county law enforcement officials — or some combination of the three — is not telling truth about whether SWAT team was called to a standoff
By Kevin Hogencamp
Contributing Writer
Usually, a rookie reporter in a new town approaches the job gingerly at the onset – especially with the very sources on which the journalist relies for the day-to-day scoop. But Cade Fowler of WALB already is asking some of the toughest questions, as is the Albany Herald’s young scribe, Joshua Brown.
Both reporters cover the Albany Police Department, and amidst their asking questions about a Monday standoff with police in west Albany , someone among the public officials who are on our dime has told a lie. Or two.
At issue is the Albany-Dougherty Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team’s involvement in an incident at a Station Crossing Drive home that police say ended with 32-year-old Matthew Thomas fatally killing himself. In two other recent standoffs with police in neighboring counties, the area SWAT teams were called. No one died in either incident, so reporters naturally wondered why they didn’t see a SWAT vehicle at the Station Crossing Drive incident.
Albany police Lt. Kenn Singleton told reporters after the incident that the police incident commander opted not to call the city-county SWAT team to the scene, although the special squad was put on standby as a matter of policy.
“The call came as an unwanted person, but we got on scene and we found out it was a barricaded suspect. That’s when they (the SWAT team) were put on notice. They were ready and waiting for the next call on what their next move would be,” Mr. Singleton said.
The Albany Herald, meanwhile, reported that “two independent high-ranking” Dougherty County officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed Mr. Singleton’s account.
But Mr. Singleton’s boss, Police Chief James Younger, said that Mr. Singleton and Dougherty County officials produced information – which is now officially a lie, since it has not been corrected – about the SWAT team’s lack of involvement in the incident.
But is it Mr. Younger who is lying?
Here’s an exchange between a very defensive Mr. Younger and Mr. Fowler, the WALB reporter, that raises more questions than it answers.
Fowler: “Why was the SWAT unit not called out yesterday to the Station Crossing incident.
Younger: “I’m not sure who gave you that information. That’s incorrect.”
Fowler: “Was the SWAT unit called out?”
Younger: “Yes.”
Fowler: “Then the SWAT unit arrived?”
Younger: “Sir, I didn’t say the SWAT unit arrived. I said they weren’t called off. The situation was resolved before the SWAT team responded to the scene.”
Fowler: “What went wrong yesterday?”
Younger: “What went wrong?”
Fowler: “Well, the man did commit suicide. What went wrong?”
Younger: “Based on the information that we have, unless there would had been divine intervention, he would have committed suicide.”
Clearly, Mr. Fowler missed a golden opportunity to further put the police chief on the spot. He easily could have said to Mr. Younger: “What do mean you’re not sure who gave me that information. It was your lieutenant who told me and other reporters that the SWAT team wasn’t called to the scene.”
And, the reporter could have added, emphatically: “Yes, Mr. Younger, something did go wrong; a young man is dead.”
Perhaps most baffling to me, though, is Mr. Younger’s statement to the Herald that he “could not speak for the incident commander” regarding how the incident was handled. Also, Mr. Younger refuses to explain why police used a wood 2-by-4 to break window to the Station Crossing home. Then there’s the inability of police to produce records substantiating neighbors reports that police were at the Station Crossing home the previous day.
The incident commander works for you, chief.
And you work for us.
Tell us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Then again, that’s clearly not the expectation of your supervisor – City Manager Alfred Lott, or Mayor Willie Adams, for that matter. They’ve been caught telling fibs, themselves – with no consequences, thus far.
The truth be told, I think some people are starting to notice.
Thanks for the feedback.
For the longest time, I defended Mr. Younger’s competence, largely because of his law degree, and attributed his poor performance to low expectations established by the city manager. The city manager has directed some of his department directors to violate the state open records law, so it’s not surprising that his police chief doesn’t readily answer the public’s questions about public safety.
Still, I now question Mr. Younger’s competence, because he publicly declared recently that a domestic violence suspect couldn’t be arreseted without his accuser’s blessing. That conclusion is contrary to state law — and an affront to domestic violence victims and their advocates.
Keep in touch!
Tell it, Kev!
It’s amazing how much incompetance– or at least bad customer service and PR– some employers will put up with.
I can’t imagine that if my job performance were as low as Chief Youber’s appears to be, or if I made my employer look as unresponsive and irresponsible as Chief Younger does in the media, that I would have my job very long!
Younger holds a law degree from George Mason University, so he can’t be that thick-headed. It must be sheer arronagnce…